Hopeless
by Tenshi no Kiri
Summary: IDW Sunstreaker reflects on the events that brought him to his current situation. Takes place durring Transformers: Escalation and Devastation. Oneshot


_I don't own Transformers__, Hasbro does. But if ever they decide to sell__ them, I still wouldn't own them, because I only have __$10 in my wallet. Oh the joys of college._

_Story takes place __during__Transformers__: Escalation and Devastation._

* * *

'Oh Primus, what are these humans doing to me,' Sunstreaker thought as he desperately tried to grasp the situation. He'd been unconscious for days while these humans took him apart and studied him. Now that he was awake, he couldn't decide which was worse: the fact the scientists, or in Sunstreaker's mind 'butchers', were disassembling his beautiful body, or that they neglected to shut off his pain receptors before doing it.

'It would have been better if I'd been caught by the Decepticons. At least they would have asked me questions as they tortured me.' Sunstreaker paused as his last thought sunk in. 'Captured by **humans**! Sideswipe will never let me live this down.'

Sunstreaker gave an exasperated sigh and winced as one of his tormenters yanked out a handful of wires less then gently.

'Stupid humans. They can shut down my motor functions but they can't turn off my pain receptors. Sadistic little cretins probably did that on propose.'

The scientist continued to scurry back and forth taking pieces of Sunstreaker with them. A group of these humans had gathered behind his head.

'Slag it all to the pit. What are they doing now?'

On a few seconds Sunstreaker had his answer. Wires were inserted into his head, which was the only part of him still enacted.

'Oh Primus, no. They're in my head!'

The pain Sunstreaker felt as his mind was violated by these primitive creatures was far worse than when they had taken him apart. He let out a scream that would have drought the dead back online. The humans paused for a second, as if shock to find out that a robot could feel at all, much less that he could feel pain. After the awe of their new discovery wore off they quickly resumed what they were doing.

'How on Cybertron, I mean, Earth, right I'm on Earth. Frag, it's getting hard to focus. How on Earth did I get into this mess?'

* * *

"Send them back?! Send them back to what? They have nothing to go back to," Ratchet shouted. 

"That's not our problem. They don't belong here, Ratchet, and you know it. You should have never have let them get involved in the first place," Prowl said just as forcefully.

"And this is their planet. It's more than understandable if **they **want to be involved," Ratchet countered.

"Ratchet, I understand you're reasons for wanting them to stay, but I have to agree with Prowl's judgment. The humans would be better off if they weren't involved. Keeping them here would just put them in unnecessary danger," Optimus said. "Since you first incountered those three they've been chased by Decepticons, nearly buried alive, and one even came face to face with Megatron."

"But Optimus, sir –"

"Ratchet, while some Decepticons may be prone to seek petty retribution, but Megatron has more important things to attend to. He won't waste his time hunting down three human teenagers when he has Starscream's mess to clean up first."

"Could we at least monitor them, just for a little while, to make sure they'll be alright?" Ratchet gave one last plea to his leader.

"That would waste time and resources that we don't have," Prowl cut in.

"I suppose if Bumblebee is free he can check up on them," Optimus said. He knew that while Prowl had a point, Ratchet, Bumblebee, and Jazz would probably go and check on them any way. Not that he could blame them; he was concerned for the human's safety as well.

"Thank you, sir," Ratchet said, relived that he'd know the humans were safe. He wasn't worried about Jimmy getting into trouble, that boy was more level head than most of the bots he knew. Hunter's well being wasn't too big of an issue; he had family to go home to. However, he did have a habit of going out of his way to find trouble, but since he no longer had a van his adventures would be limited. Verity was Ratchets main concern. She had a defiant streak and quite a few trust issues to boot. On top of that she never stayed in one place for long. He knew that of the three of them she would take the news the hardest.

* * *

"What?! Why do I have to chaperon them back?" Sunstreaker was not happy about this and he was going to make sure Prowl knew it. 

"Because you and Ironhide have had the least amount of contact with them," Prowl said.

"What about you? I don't see you in there makin' nice with 'em," Sunstreaker pointed out. "And besides Ironhide may not talk to them, but he's in their little box room thing just as much as Ratchet is."

"Sunstreaker you **will** accompany the humans back to their homes. That is an order!" Prowl was obviously losing his patience.

"Fine I'll do it," Sunstreaker said in a huff. Satisfied with that answer, Prowl turned and left.

"And without the humans occupying Ratchet's attention he can finally remove that stick from your tailpipe," Sunstreaker mumbled.

* * *

As soon as Suntreaker's wheels hit the pavement and he 'put the pedal to the medal'. 

"Sunstreaker," Ironhide's voice came over the internal communication channel. "- speed limit."

"Oh, c'mon! Bad enough I gotta share my upholstery with a species that sheds skin on a regular basis, but now I gotta super-size the experience?" Sunstreaker slowed down to 80 mph as they passed the sign for I-94 southbound. 'Guess I'd better find out where I'm going.'

"So, where to?"

"Tulsa, Oklahoma."

'These humans come up with the strangest names for things.' "What's there?"

"My life."

'This is going to be a long drive.' Sunstreaker thought.

They drove for another fifteen minutes, during which time Sunstreaker had passed a few other vehicles leaving far enough behind that he couldn't see him, but not far enough that the older bot would get on his case about it.

"So, do you want to listen to the radio or something?" Sunstreaker asked. He was sure Hunter was getting tired of sitting in silence. Sunstreaker's first impression of humans had been that they were noisy, but he was beginning to think that, with humans, noise was equal to the amount of indignation they were feeling.

"Well I guess we-," Hunter's statement was cut short by an explosion that was a few yards ahead of them.

"Whoa, what the hell just happened?"

Sunstreaker was about to point out that, obviously, something had blown up, probably some primitive human vehicle, however, he suddenly found himself surrounded by smoke.

'There is no way all this smoke came from that explosion.'

"What is this stuff? Sunstreaker?" A quick scan would have confirmed what Hunter's voice was making pretty clear. His human companion was becoming very **scared** very **fast**.

"Not a clue. Ironhide?" No answer. "Ironhide?!" 'Frag! The internal communication channel is blocked! Then I guess I'll just have get out of this by myself.' Sunstreaker raised his canons and prepared to fire.

"Whoa, Whoa! There are survivors, casualties… You can't just randomly open fire!"

'Well that's fragging infuriating.' "Then what do you suggest?"

"Transform… Now! Before-," Whatever Hunter had planned on saying was cut off by an electronic pulse that what through Sunstreaker. Knowing that the salt that humans natural had on their skin, would conduct electricity, Sunstreaker tired to insulate Hunter by absorbing the currents into his own systems. Not that it would save them from their attackers, but at least Hunter wouldn't die.

"Gheeeah!"

"Sunstreaker!"

'Slag it all' Then ever thing went dark.

* * *

The scientists were done for now. 'Thank Primus.' Sunstreaker was left alone in a dark room for days. The wall in front of him was one big widow that looked out into a room full of computers. Every so often one of the wires in his head would download more information from him. It was during his second week of his imprisonment that he finally got some answers. 

"Robot, are you awake?" The tone this human used was more demanding then concerned.

"Oh, great. So, what are you going to do to me now? Hack out my tongue? Or maybe just shove a few more wire in me?"

"My name is Dante. I run this organization."

"And what Organization is that?"

"We call ourselves 'Machination' and you are our main project at the moment."

"Oh I'm flattered. And what exactly is this project?"

"We are building an army, and you are the central hub." He said obviously proud of machination's progress. "If that's all the questions you have, I have -."

"Wait! There was a human with me. Where is he now?"

"Oh yes, the boy. He's alive, for now, but he's in surgery. I think it would be best to keep you two separated, at least until we're finished with him."

"Surgery? Surgery for what?"

"You'll see soon enough, if he doesn't die first, that is." And with that Dante left.

* * *

A month or two passed, Sunstreaker wasn't sure any more. He had lost hope of being rescued at the end of the first month when none of the Autobots had shown up. He prayed to Primus that one of those scientists would take pity on him and put him out of his misery. 

He was so last in thought that he almost didn't hear the door to his personal prison cell open. He activated his optics to see which human had come to, literally, pick his brain this time. What he saw shocked him, because in front of him stood the being he was sure died months ago.

"Ht-," It had been so long since he'd spoken to any one and the constant pain in his head wasn't helping. "Hunterrr…"

The boy turned around slowly, clearly unnerved that someone, in a place full of people who want to 'recondition' him, would call out to him. Sunstreaker watched as his eyes widened in shock. Sunstreaker couldn't tell if the boy's expression was caused by finding him in the room Hunter just so happened to decide to hide in, or if the shock was at seeing that those monsters had reduced him to just a head.

"Suh- Sunstreaker!" Hunter stuttered. Sunstreaker realized that Hunter showing up could Primus's way of answering.

"Pehlease… kill me."


End file.
